Improvement in liquid-measuring tanks



- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. BALDWIN. Liquid-Measuring Tank. No. 213,161

Patented Mar. 11,1879.

jive/2757 a i J add 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

W. BALDWIN. I Liquid-Measuring Tank No. 213,161. Patented Mar. 11,1879.-

N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHHR, WASHINGTON, Dv C UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM BALDWIN, OF TIOGA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIQUID-MEASURING TANKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,161, dated March11, 1879; application filed February 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM BALDWIN, of Tioga, in the county of Tiogaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Measuring-Tanks, of which the following is aspecification:

My tank is provided'with an inner cylindrical chamber, in which is afloat to determine or indicate by its height the quantity of liquid insaid measuring-chamber. A valve admits liquid from the main chamber ofthe tank to the measuring cylinder, and another valve passes the liquidfrom the measuring-cylinder to the discharge-spout. These valves arecontrolled by a vertical rod so connected with them that its downwardmovement opens the rections, and carries a loose disk adjustable aroundthe said rod, and having notches around its opening one less in numberthan the pins, so that by adjusting the disk around the rod any one ofthe pins may be caused to engage with the disk, the others passingfreely through the notches therein.

The float-rod is thus caused to engage with and lift the disk when thesaid rod is at any determined height, and the disk when raised trips atrigger employed to hold the valve-rod down and keep the inlet-valveopen. The valve-rod being released permits the inletvalve to close, andthe weight of the latter elevates therod, and thereby opens thedischargevalve.

A spherical boss underneath the float-rod disk, acting on a rigidhorizontal arm projecting from the valve-rod, imparts a slight rotarymovement to said valve-rod, causing it to release the outlet-va1ve andpermit it to close when the float descends.

A spring imparts a reverse rotary movement to the valve-rod, to cause itto re-engage with the arm of the outlet-valve when the said rod isdepressed to open the inlet to the measuringcylinder.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. Fig. 3 is avertical section on the line 3 3, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. etis a verticalsection on the line 4 4, Figs. 1 and 2.

- T represents a tank for oil or other liquid,

and D a vertical measuring-cylinder commu nicating with a chamber, D, inthe bottom of the tank, which is separated from the main chamber by ahorizontal partition or false bottom, d, in which is a weighted valve,V, pivoted at 21 and having on its under side arigid arm, o projectinghorizontally beneath avertical valve-rod, B, so that the depression ofthe said valve-rod will open the valve.

The valve-rod R extends out through the top of the tank and terminatesin a knob, I. It is also provided with a notch, 1', to receive the pointof a pawl, F, projecting downward from a horizontal trigger, Gr, and sonear the fulcrum g thereof that the catching of the said pawl F in thenotch 1' will hold the rod R down and the valve V open.

S represents the outlet spout, and V a weighted valve to close the same,said valve being pivoted at o and kept shut by a spring, 8.

From the rear of the valve V projects a the rod P of which has a numberof pins, 19 p p 19, projecting from it in dilierent directions and ofvarious heights. If four pins are used, as in the present illustration,they are ninety degrees apart around the rod, and are arranged at suchheights as to afford four measures of capacity in the cylinder D-as, forexample, one pint, one quart, two quarts, and one gallonat either ofwhich limits the valve V, between the main tank-chamber and themeasuring-cylinder, will be automatically closed, according as theapparatus may be set.

The release ofthe valve'rod R to permit the valve to close is efiectedby the contact with the trigger G of a disk, 0, placed loosely on thefloat-rod P, and raised by the contact of one or other of the pins 1) p19 11 with its under side. In order to cause any desired one of thesepins to lift the disk 0, the latter is provided with notches 0 0 0 oneless in number than the pins, and arranged, as shown, ninety degreesapart, around one side of the circle, so that one notch is omitted, andby the adjustment of the disk 0 this blank or un- .notched space may bebrought over any one of the four pins, while the notches c 0 0 willallow the other three (or such of them as may be higher than thearrested pin) to pass freely through.

To the under side of the disk 0 is fixed a hemispherical boss, 0,notched .to correspond with the disk 0, and forming, practically, a partthereof, being, in fact, the part which receives the impact of one orother of the pins.

The hemispherical form of the disk-bottom G is for the purpose ofimparting, on the descent of the float F, a lateral movement to an arm,E, keyed on the valve-rod R, so as to rotate said rod, and, byretracting the arm H from the ratchet-tooth to, permit the valve V toclose when the required amount has been discharged through the spout S.

The float-rod P is graduated, as shown in Fig; 4, to indicate fractionalquantities less than those represented by the pins 2 p p 12 so that bymanipulating the valves by means of the rod R any desired fractionalquantity may be measured and drawn.

From an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be seen that the valve-rod B, whenthrown up by the closing of the valve V, comes near to the arm W of thevalve V, so that by pulling up the rod It the operator can open thevalve V, and so let out the contents of the measuringtube at any time atpleasure, while the valve V reinains closed.

Now, the rod of the float F being graduated to quarts and to fractionsof a quart down to a sixteenth, it will be seen that by depressing theknob of the rod R part of the way down to the notch 10 of the arm, themeasure will fill, according to the way the disk is turned, more or lessfull; and where the liquid has entered the measure, by pulling upon therod by the knob at the top, and thus opening the valve V of the spoutand watching the graduated rod of the float F, the operator can draw anyquantity he desiresone quart or onesixteenth of a quart. When he getsenough, he lets go the knob and the running stops. An independent modeof drawing by the graduated rod of the float is thus afl'orded.

In big tanks six, or even eight, different measures can be drawnautomatically by arranging a correspondin gnumber of pins around the rodof the float F.

An important point in my invention is the ready convertibility of themeasure into a pump to pump the oil from barrels into the tank. The pumpis used by taking out the float and putting in a tight piston andworking it, attaching hose from the barrel to the spout S.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A measuring-tank constructed, substantially as herein described, witha float working in the measuringchamber, valves passing liquid from thetank to the measuring-chamber, and from thence to the exit-spout, and avalverod operated by the float at variable heights to automaticallyclose the inlet to the measuringchamber and open the outlet.

2. The combination of the measuring-cylinder D, float F, pins 1) p 19 12and the notched disk (3, adjustable on the float-rod to vary the strokeof the float, as explained.

float F, to determine or indicate the quantity of liquid drawn from themain chamber of the tank, substantially as herein set forth.

XVM. BALD WIN.

Witnesses J. P. WIcKHAM, J12, E. S. FARR.

